


Sacrifices

by TenRoseForeverandever



Series: Domestic Bliss [8]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-08-04
Packaged: 2018-02-11 18:10:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2078079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TenRoseForeverandever/pseuds/TenRoseForeverandever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor decides that he and Rose need to live a healthier lifestyle, one that befits the "Stuff of Legend".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sacrifices

**Author's Note:**

> My thanks to all of those who take the time to read my stories; and a very special shout out to everyone who takes the time to review and send kudos. Every single one of you makes me feel wonderful and makes me want to keep writing about this very special couple ... and give them their forever. Sigh. 
> 
> Please enjoy. This one is a little silly and had to be reworked a few times before it felt right. But, I think the end result was worth it. I had lots of fun writing it.

**Sacrifices**

“Oh, that was _too_ close!” Rose exclaimed as the TARDIS doors slammed behind the Doctor. She was bent over double, panting for breath.

The Doctor’s eyes gleamed with infectious exuberance. “Tell ya what though–”

“– I _know!_ A _real_ fire-breathing dragon!” Rose finished his thought with a squeal of joy. He opened his arms as she launched herself towards him, welcoming the wild embrace. He lifted her from the ground, swinging her around in exhilaration. A full minute later, his Time Lord senses told him, they were still clinging to one another, revelling in the feel of their bodies pressed close together, so comforting after their dangerous adventure. This deeper demonstration of their affection was still very new to them, having only recently allowed their relationship to progress to an intimate level, and they wasted no opportunities to express their fondness and passion.

He blissfully closed his eyes, allowing himself to appreciate everything that was Rose through his other senses: the scent of her exertion overlying her growing arousal; the saltiness of her skin where his lips brushed her forehead; her heart thundering against his chest; and the thrum of her gasping breath, hot and heavy against his neck… A frown of concern hardened his features and he abruptly thrust her away from him, hands still on her shoulders so that he could peer directly into her eyes. “Med Bay, _now_!” he snapped.

“Wha–” she arched her eyebrow at him, nonplussed. “I was enjoyin’ that hug, Time Lord.” She tugged seductively at his tie.

“ _Now_ , Rose!” Desperately subduing his body’s responses to her tempting touches, he grabbed her hand and dragged her after him through the passages of the TARDIS toward the infirmary.

“Oi!” she yelped., “I’ll be needin’ that arm!” He responded to her protests by yanking her harder, causing her to trip into a little trot next to his long, purposeful strides.

“I just want to run a few scans.”

“’M fine, Doctor.”

They reached the med-bay. “Just a few scans. Now, you, up on the examination table.” When she didn’t respond to his order, he raised his voice in impatience. “ _Now_!”

“Okay, okay!” She complied with a curled lip and roll of her eyes. “Just you mind your tone, Mister. I learned a thing or two from my Mum: you’re anglin’ for a good, hard slap, you are!”

He touched his cheek in trepidation, feeling the ghost of Jackie’s slap from his previous regeneration, and managed to school his voice to a tone of contrition. “Look, I’m sorry, Rose. Please let me do the scans. You seemed so out of breath earlier and your heart was beating so hard… and just not recovering the way it should.”

“Are you worried about me?” She flirted mercilessly, flashing him her tongue-touched smile.

He pointedly refused to look at her and began the scan.

She continued to speak. “Well, hmmm, let’s see: fire-breathing dragon. Even without runnin’ for my life, that’s bound to get the heart racin’. Gotta be a contributin’ factor, wouldn’t ya say, Doctor?”

“But it just wasn’t slowing down, Rose. Not normal.”

“Course, you _were_ givin’ me a rather nice hug.” Her voice turned sultry and she coyly gazed up at him through her lashes, her lips twitching into a sensual little smile. “I think that _you_ have the power to get my heart thumpin’ even more than that dragon…” She dragged her finger delightfully down his tie, unbuttoning his suit jacket, to allow her hand to saunter tantalizingly close to the waistband of his pants.

He swallowed thickly, desperately trying to maintain his concentration on the scans. “Rose…”

She giggled at him, but stopped her lascivious teasing. “Doctor,” she took his scanning hand, squeezing it in reassurance, “I’m fine. But all that breathin’ and heart-poundin’ has got me famished! Reckon you could take me for chips?”

“ _Chips_! I don’t think you need to be eating chips anymore, Rose Tyler!”

“Oi! What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

He grimaced and carefully chose how he would phrase what he said next. “With our lifestyle, Rose, running and saving civilizations and such, I think we need to eat things that are healthier and–”

“You think I’m gettin’ fat, don’t you?” She dropped her eyes, biting her bottom lip fretfully.

“Rassilon, no!” Him and his stupid gob. She was lovely and cuddly in all the right spots, and maybe she _had_ gained a couple of pounds recently, but he wasn’t complaining. She was beautiful, his Rose. He extended a hand to tip her chin up gently. “You’re… you’re gorgeous, Rose. I just think we could do with a healthier lifestyle. Need to be in top shape, us. The Stuff of Legend: need to be able to live up to that title.”

“You mean _I_ need a healthier lifestyle,” she said in a despondent tone. “You and your superior Time Lord physiology...”

“Oh, Rose,” he stroked her hair, his hearts feeling as though they would overflow with love for her, “we’re in this together.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.”

\-------

After several aborted trips to Tesco where Rose attempted to buy several packets of crisps, and the Doctor succumbed to his cravings, filling a shopping cart with a dozen packets of Banana & Toffee Jammie Dodgers, fifteen jars of marmalade, and ten bunches of bananas, they decided that they needed to use a different strategy if they were going to live in a manner that befit the Stuff of Legend.

“But bananas are good for you, Rose,” he lamented. “Loaded with potassium, they are!”

“A balanced diet, Doctor,” she chided, “does not consist entirely of bananas.”

“Weeeell, no…” He scratched the back of his neck. “But _crisps_ , Rose! I’m _shocked_!”

“I was only going to get a few packets, yeah… just for a treat now and again.” He smiled as she self-consciously twirled her hair and wouldn’t meet his eyes. “And,” her voice took on an irritated, bitter edge that made him cringe, “I don’t think that Jammie Dodgers and marmalade are exactly considered ‘health food’.” Her irritation quickly turned to gloom and she looked up at him with a thoroughly discouraged expression, holding her hair away from her face with one hand. “What are we goin’ to do? We’re hopeless!”

\-------

They decided to work out their frustrations, running through the TARDIS passages for forty minutes, doing weight training for another twenty, followed by a (skinny) dip in the pool to cool off. “Whew!” Rose exclaimed, “I’m knackered!” They were lying on towels, snuggled up to each other by the pool in the TARDIS-simulated sunlight, Rose’s head resting comfortably on the Doctor’s shoulder. It would be nice if they could soak up the energy directly from that sunlight, he thought idly to himself.

“Sunlight! That’s it, Rose!” He suddenly sat up, knocking Rose off him. Somewhere in the back of his remarkable mind he registered the crack as her head met the TARDIS floor.

“What? Are you tryin’ to gimme a concussion, you big git!”

“Why would I want to do that, Rose? What are you doing lolling around over there?” She really needed to get with the program sometimes, did his Rose. “Sunlight, Rose!”

“Yeah, got that,” she said, rubbing her head.

“Do you have a headache, Rose?”

“Sunlight, Doctor,” she pressed, sounding a bit annoyed. “What about it?”

“What makes its own food from sunlight? C’mon, Rose, basic biology.”

“Well…”

“Plants!”

“Uh…”

“Plants!”

“And…”

“Plants!

“Okay! Plants! Got it! What’s your flippin’ point, Doctor?

“We can grow our own food, Rose!”

“Wha…?”

“Farming! Right here on the TARDIS!”

“You’re a loon.”

She didn’t seem to be catching on to how exciting this revelation of his was. And she kept rubbing the side of her head. Was she confused? She was being a bit thick, was Rose. “No, no, no, don’t you see? The problem is, we go to Tesco or some market somewhere, and we get distracted by all the unhealthy food options. What if… we grew our own? Blimey, we’d never need to see the inside of a supermarket again, Rose, and we’d be eating healthy food.”

“We’re on the TARDIS.”

“But she can provide us with anything we need to grow crops, Rose, don’t you see?”

Rose’s eyes widened in realization. “Can she help us to grow magic chip trees?”

He sent her a withering look. “No chips, Rose! We’ve been over this already.”

“’S no fair.” She pouted at him. “I bet _you_ get to grow _your_ favourite food, bananas, but _I_ don’t get my magic chip tree.”

“These are but the burdens we have to bear, Rose. We all have to make some sacrifices. But we can grow nice, green veggies; delicious foods of all sorts! This… this, Rose, is the answer to all our problems!”

“Like to see the sacrifices you’re makin’,” he distinctly heard her mutter under her breath. “And,” she spoke up to make her point clear, “it’ll take ages for everything to grow. We’ll have to shop the regular way in the meantime, anyway.”

“Nah! The TARDIS will manipulate things. The plants will be ready to be harvested in no time.”

“But I still can’t have a magic chip tree?” He shook his head in disbelief, and rolled his eyes at her. Her eyes suddenly brightened, though they were looking decidedly unfocussed. “Can I have my own garden at least?”

“Well of course, Rose Tyler! It’ll be fun, yeah?” He was ecstatic that she was starting to buy into his plan. He felt a little thrill of anticipation when she leaned in to give him one of her sweet, not-so-chaste kisses. But the happy feelings were quickly subdued when she fell forward into his lap with a groan.

“My head, Doctor,” she mumbled. “It’s killin’ me.”

His thoughts abruptly turned to his earlier faint awareness of a cracking sound… Rose lolling around… Rose rubbing her head… her unfocussed eyes… Rose face down in his lap… (ooooh, lovely! _No_ , now was not the time for such thoughts!) “Rose, I’m so sorry!” He scooped her up in his arms. “I got carried away with my plans. We’ll get you fixed up, right as rain, in just a tick.” He kissed her forehead gently and carried her to her med bay.

As he scanned her and healed her concussion, he babbled on happily about the history of farming on different planets, and its various effects on the social structures of different societies.

“It’s all a bit domestic, though, don’t ya think, Doctor? For us, I mean. It caused all those societies to settle down, stay in one place. See: domestic. We’re not really like that.”

He shuddered. “I should think not, Rose! I consider it to be an adventure! And an investment in the future to ensure that we will continue to be able to save the universe, hale and hearty, for many years to come. That’s not being domestic. That’s being practical. Now going to Tesco once a week: _that’s_ domestic, Rose, that’s what that is!”

\-------

The Doctor always made sure he stayed a few strides behind Rose during their runs these days, just to admire the view. The past month had been an unmitigated success, in his opinion, genius that he was. Rose had always… _always_ been gorgeous, but now, Rassilon! Now she was bloody magnificent: toned muscles; hair and eyes glowing with health; and her stamina and enthusiasm… Not quite as soft and cuddly, but, oh _yes_! the stamina and enthusiasm more than compensated for that. He would call her a goddess, but really, he had met some so-called deities, and Rose out-deified them all.

He was pulled out of his reverie, by Rose grinning glowingly at him over her shoulder. “’M I tirin’ you out, Doctor?” she teased. “You really _are_ laggin’ behind, today.” She held her hand out behind her, wiggling her fingers invitingly. He put on a burst of speed and seized it enthusiastically, and they continued to run side by side, hand in hand. “Eh, don’t worry, Doctor. Last lap. Then you can rest.”

“Rose, I’m alright. I was just… weeell… lost in my thoughts…” He felt a blush creep over his cheeks: he had better suppress that, and quick. “See: look at me. Superior biology and all! Not out of breath, not a bit. Haven’t even needed my respiratory bypass.”

“Don’ know…” She inspected his complexion. “You’re lookin’ a little flushed, there.” She smiled at him knowingly, poking her little pink tongue out the side of her mouth. “How ‘bout a nice, coolin’ swim and I’ll go make us some lunch, yeah? Lentil and kale soup leftovers from last night! Sooooo good!”

“Sounds brilliant!” He flashed her a cheesy grin. Inwardly he was retching. All this healthy food was sooooo booooring! And, frankly, categorically _disgusting_ , that’s what it was. How she even managed to swallow the stuff, he didn’t know. It tasted like toxic sludge to his sensitive Time Lord taste buds. Not that Rose’s cooking was the problem. He shared in the food preparation, fifty-fifty. Although, he had to admit, his meals were slightly more palatable than hers. But she could hardly be blamed for having inherited poor cooking skills. He had tasted enough of Jackie’s cooking to not fault Rose for this little weakness. Besides, goddesses didn’t normally cook, anyway. The real problem was that there were few or no sugars or fats in all these healthy foods. All the things that made food worth eating stripped away, leaving behind... weeell, greens and fibre and… blech!

And yet, he kept his expression deadpan as he forced the horrid stuff down his throat, holding out until night time when she was sound asleep. And she was sleeping well these days. Good sound sleep, too! He congratulated himself on keeping her life full and eventful and active. He always took them to planets where he knew they would be kept busy with exciting adventures and lots of running. Upon returning to the TARDIS, they would work out, shower, and, then just before turning in… ahhhh, yes. She would fall asleep, the blush of arousal still glowing in her cheeks, while he watched her lovingly, holding her close until he was sure she was truly in a deep slumber.

And then he would creep to the console room, slipping quietly under the floor panels to tinker, and, most importantly, to feast. Superior physiology or not, he needed to eat! And not just anything: things that actually supplied him with energy; things that tasted good… no, not just good, great… no, no, no, _heavenly_! That was the word. He ate bananas in any form: fresh bananas; banana bread; banana muffins; banana pancakes absolutely drenched in maple syrup. He emptied jam jars with his fingers, and poured ridiculous quantities of sugar in his cuppa.

And Rose would never know. He had even set up his own little kitchen under the console. He would never have to feel guilty about tempting her with treats that would sabotage her health. A healthy Rose would be able to give him a longer forever than an unhealthy one. If this was the sacrifice he had to make to ensure that he could hold her in his arms for a few extra years, then it was worth it. She was worth anything, really… anything. So why did it feel so very wrong?

He had been trying to rationalize his “sacrifice” for many days now, enjoying the food less and less every day. Even the bananas began to taste like cardboard in his mouth. He felt corrupt and deceitful. This wasn’t a sacrifice. This was him taking advantage of his Rose. How was _this_ supposed to be making him feel not-guilty? His behaviour was completely reprehensible.

In an effort to bolster his sagging spirits, he absently snapped open a jar of marmalade, finger poised to swipe the contents to his lips. Rose’s snarl startled him: _“What ever happened to ‘We’re in this together’_?” His hearts suddenly began to thud explosively, and his respiratory bypass snapped into action upon hearing her voice. He searched frantically around him, but couldn’t locate her. Not that he thought he could ever have the guts to face her, coward that he was. “ _Take me home, now! I’m done with you and your lies._ ”

The jar crashed to the floor, contents splattering into the works of the TARDIS. He scrambled out from under the console, pleading, “No, Rose, no! I promise it won’t happen again–” His begging was cut short when he realized that she wasn’t there, and never had been. There was no scent, no residual warmth from her body. Her voice had been a manifestation of his guilt-ridden mind. Leaning onto the console, desperately attempting to get his breathing under control, he clutched his head, and tugged fretfully at his hair. He received an angry shock from the TARDIS. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’ll clean you up in a bit. Need to talk to Rose first, though.” The time ship hummed disdainfully in return, promising him further punishment if he did anything more to hurt her Bad Wolf.

Soon, he was pacing outside Rose’s bedroom door, rehearsing what he would say. It would need to be a full confession: no more hiding; no more concealing his emotions. She was everything to him and she deserved to be worshipped, treated as the goddess that she was. Toned muscles or cuddly, it didn’t matter as long as she was by his side, holding his hand, wrapped in his arms... forever. He had suffered too much loss in his life, and had never been able to make amends. He would not lose her too.

Ready as he would ever be, he flung open the door, eyes sweeping immediately to her bed. It was empty. The en suite was empty. She wasn’t there. His hearts clenched when the irrational thought crossed his mind that she had already left him and gone home.

“Stupid head!” He thumped himself in the temples a few times. “Think, think, think!” He began to troll around the TARDIS halls, frantically searching for his precious girl: in the weight room; in the den; in the library; in the pool; in his bedroom; even the infirmary. Nothing. Finally, he opened the galley door to find her sitting at the table facing him.

His frankly impressive brain was coming undone with self-reproach. Ashamed, he kept his gaze downcast, unable to meet her eyes. He sensed her staring at him, her eyes boring into him for several long seconds, before his gob finally began to work, spewing forth confessions and apologies and supplications, “…and I don’t deserve to occupy the same universe as you, Rose, but I think I would die or wish that I could if I didn’t have you here. You _are_ my universe.”

He stopped his rambling, finally finding the courage to look her in her lovely face, hoping to see even the most infinitesimal trace of forgiveness and love. What he saw defied all his expectations: Rose’s eyes held a look of absolute horror as she inhaled the chip that was dangling from her lips, and she glanced down awkwardly at her fork, poised in midair, ready to attack the full plate in front of her. She cast him a sheepish grin, and a nervous titter caught in her throat.

The Doctor felt his lips moving wordlessly as he tried to rationalize the view before him. “M-m- magic chip tree?” he eventually managed to stutter out.

“Somethin’ like that,” she muttered, her cheeks flushing crimson.

He reached over the table, snatched a chip from her plate and popped it into his mouth. He grinned cheekily and his eyes gleamed with appreciation. “Tell ya what though–”

“–I know! They’re _gorgeous_ , yeah.” Rose finished his thought with an anxious giggle. He opened his arms as, smiling, she approached him, and he drew her into a comforting embrace. Unable to contain his joy, he lifted her from the ground, swinging her around in exhilaration. A full minute later, his Time Lord senses told him, they were still beaming foolishly at one another, revelling in the feel of their bodies pressed close together. Gradually, their smiles turned into chuckles, and it wasn’t long before they found themselves collapsed into a heap on the floor, still desperately clinging to one another, overcome with uncontrollable fits of laughter.


End file.
